The Top Digital Transformation Trends For 2019

Digital transformation involves both an organizational shift where people, technology, and business meet and technological change. In this article, we outline some of the most important trends in 2019 to help organizations make their business transformations a fact. These tendencies include chatbots, 5G mobile internet networks, and AI developments among others. The message we’d like our readers to take away from this piece is that technology is not equivalent to digital transformation in and of itself. Clients, company culture, and staff lie at the core of every technology investment.

More Sophisticated Bots

Developers will continue making giant leaps in sentiment analytics and natural language processing throughout 2019. More and more services will become automated as a result. Services like job recruiting and loan processing could become available through bots. Two out of each five large businesses currently apply natural language processing or will do so by the end of 2019. Naturally, this raises the concern of making humans redundant, but no transformation is without its downsides – or ways to overcome such. Employees will need to improve their skills to help provide a satisfying customer experience as a bot can’t perform a human’s job when it comes to processing a more complicated request.

5G Mobile Networks

2019 is the year when 5G is going to be everywhere. There is already a wide number of test deployments with companies like Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Intel. 5G is also available in rural locations thanks to new companies like Mimosa. Major providers like ATT and Verizon will start offering faster and more innovative mobile network services.

Simplifying the Blockchain

Right now, the blockchain is too complicated for ordinary people to wrap their heads around. As a result, not enough people are getting in on the action and benefiting from the vast array of opportunities cryptocurrencies have to offer. However, developments in this sector are set to go beyond that. Giants like IBM continue to put great effort into utilizing the blockchain’s potential for applications beyond cryptocurrency.

Integrated Cloud Technology

Connected clouds – a combination of public, private, and hybrid – are continuing to grow and develop to meet businesses’ ever-changing requirements, be they app deployment, security, or networking. Amazon, Alibaba, and other huge public cloud providers are starting to offer private options. Microsoft, VMware, and HPE are also jumping the bandwagon. In fact, this tendency is so significant that the term “multicloud” is set to be THE word in 2019.

From Data to AI

Forbes Magazine reports that 90% of the world’s data was created in 2018. However, it has also emerged that just 1% of it is being used effectively. Data will continue to play a crucial role in companies’ decisions about services, strategies, and products. Companies like SAS, Microsoft, and Salesforce are actively working on transforming this data into meaningful analytics. Machine learning can be enhanced by greater processing power. In 2019, we’re going to see digital leaders augmenting their investment in this process to make the most of the data available to them. This will be achieved with machine learning and AI.

The CEO: Back in Control of Transformation

Studies throughout 2018 and previous years have shown that digital transformation is continuously relegated to IT, HR or Marketing departments despite the fact that a majority of employees want it to start from the top of their organization. CEOs will finally begin taking responsibility for digital transformation in 2019. Awareness of the critical nature of building cultures that are able to transform and the value of training staff will increase.

Data Privacy Concerns Will Transform Enterprises

This is the most important prediction for 2019 because of its wide-ranging implications. At present, approximately 33% of companies are not compliant with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), adopted with the purpose of providing better user data protection. Thousands of US sites aren’t available in Europe because their owners haven’t taken the time to bring their organizations in compliance with the regulation.

In 2019, consumers will become more informed about the risks of data misuse with the purpose of sales and marketing and demand more accountability from companies. In essence, it will become clear which enterprises care about protecting their customers’ data and which ones don’t, and this will reflect on their business processes.

In 2019, digital transformation will continue modifying the way business is done across industries. Irrespective of sector, we all have a great deal of important changes to look forward to.